( semi-closed )

[contacts]

who: clark kent, lois lane, kara danvers, jon kent + guests
what: the superfamily moves into a supermansion (okay, it's more of a cottage).
when: the move is early to mid-may, guests may come by for the latter half of the month.
where: the supercottage.
warnings: family shenanigans?






[ clark has found a house for his family. kara and jon have bedrooms upstairs, on the ground floor there's a kitchen, a living/dining room and lois' bedroom/study. there's a basement that will eventually feature a pool table or similar but for now is pretty empty.

supers, feel free to write your own starters for moving shenanigans, domestic things, getting used to living together, having guests over, etc. ]

Comments

[signifies]

You did?

[ Dick doesn't have to try. Clark already respects him and is deeply impressed by his dedication to the work. He doesn't have enough perspective yet to worry about it being obsessive. To him, it's understandable why a human would want to push themselves if they lived in a world full of extraordinary people.

Between the two of them, they'll be able to secure the place properly. ]

I had some other ideas. A training room?

[fingerstripes]

With room to spare for a Kryptonian to test some limits? Yeah. [ Of course Clark is always thinking. ]

We'd need special materials, but the jungle's a big place. There's no telling what we'd find with a little exploring.

[signifies]

Or somewhere I could safely be at your level. [ They don't have kryptonite. Clark wouldn't want to be near it. Red sun radiation is a safer bet. ] We can scout out some locations this weekend?

[fingerstripes]

For the chance to be knocked sideways by the man of steel himself? [ Naturally it's a thought that brings a smile to his face at once. ]

Be a chance for me to teach you any fancy blocks you might want to know.

[ Superman has been known to lose his powers from time to time, after all. ]

[signifies]

[ Man of Steel is new. Clark isn't even sure how he feels about Superman yet. It helps people call him and looks good on a headline.

It could be worse. ]

If you don't mind. I've never had to be in a fight.

[fingerstripes]

You'll pick it up fast.

[ The Clarks are different men. All the more distinct in Dick's mind the better he gets to know this one, far away from the pressures of his own world and the specter of Batman. But Superman as a concept is as inescapable as air, and Dick barely notes his own slip.

He's quiet for a moment. He has something else on his mind also. ]

So I ran into a friend of yours not too long ago.

[signifies]

[ Dick's faith steadies him. He's not yet used to people believing. This might become more normal over time, and Clark wonders what that will feel like. ]

Oh? Which one?

[ He smiles: he has a few now. ]

[fingerstripes]

He's a little cagey about his name. [ And a wry little smile tugs at the side of his mouth. They're all in good company. ]

But he happened to mention that he knew yours.

[ Which is really the question he's working his way over to. ]

[signifies]

Oh, I see. [ Bucky had wanted to know if Dick was really his friend. Clark trusts Dick in a straightforward, clear way. ] Yeah, he uh. He found out about me.

A few people have. It's a little hard to keep that secret.

[fingerstripes]

He kinda had me figured out on day one. [ It's an embarrassing story, but his mouth quirks up a little anyway. ]

Paid me a visit while I was laying down security lines.

[ Stupidly, in the Nightwing suit. ]

[signifies]

In our defence, he is a trained covert operative. [ Clark smiles wryly, but this is a problem they can't really joke about. ] Has anyone else found out?

[fingerstripes]

No. I, uh- hung pretty tight after that.

[ It had been weeks before he'd gone back to housing for any length of time. Before he'd learned to trust Bucky enough to sleep again where he could be found by anyone but Clark. Dick studies the table for a moment, brow furrowed. This has been on his mind for a while now. ]

...You ever start to feel like it might only be a matter of time?

[signifies]

[ It's a lot more dangerous for Dick to be found out. Clark thought it was just him, until he realised he had a family to protect. He's been more careful since then. ]

I do. I'm not sure how we should act. You can wear a mask, but I don't think I'd feel right if I did that.

[fingerstripes]

Nah. Wouldn't match the ensemble. [ That Clark had already thought about and discarded the possibility makes him smile. No, it wouldn't be right for Superman to wear a mask. ]

I don't know what this says about the state of my social life in Bludhaven, but I don't remember having to juggle the divide anywhere near this much at home.

[ He also hadn't really had much of a life outside of fighting crime, seeing his family, and occasionally standing his landlady up for dates, so. ]

[signifies]

[ That he's gentle about it makes Clark smile back. He's never had to be, but he values the care Dick takes with him. It's why Clark trusts him so much.

Clark can't judge him about his social life. His own life doesn't leave a lot of room for that either. ]

Would you feel comfortable using an alias instead of Dick Grayson?

[ He's been thinking about going by Kal-El. ]

[fingerstripes]

If it came to that. [ To protect his family. Clark's family. There isn't much he wouldn't do. ]

But there's a risk everywhere, isn't there?

[signifies]

There is.

If it'd just been me, I wouldn't have to think. Now, there's an entire multiverse. There's your Superman, who's worked hard to keep himself and his family a secret. I don't have the right to blow that open.

[fingerstripes]

Not a worry I've ever had. [ Dick says, honestly. The closed environment here makes the stakes feel higher, and it means more to him than he can say that Clark's been willing to accept the burden of his secret as well. That there's someone here he can even have this discussion with. ]

It kind of comes down to Batman, for me. The only time I ever went against him on the identity thing was letting the Titans in.

[ His smile is a little rueful, but not really chagrined. They're family as much as Bruce is, and he'll never regret telling them the truth. ]

Let's just say I didn't see sunlight outside of class for a week.

...But I owe him that. I owe him my protection.

[ Regardless of whether any Bruce ever sees this place or not. ]

[signifies]

[ The certainty of Dick's faith amazes him. Clark nods, accepting it. This is what Superman has, more than anything else. People next to him who believe in his ability and accept his actions.

He's starting to have a taste of what that's like. ]

I understand. I think it'd be worth talking to him about if he arrives.

Honestly, it's easier for me to be the alien here. There's no real need for a cape. All of you have that covered.

[fingerstripes]

Nothing quite brings it home like the next guy on perimeter guard dishing his origin story over the water cooler.

[ Not that that's been his experience exactly, but the point stands. Nearly everyone here, it seems, has powers or comes from a place where the experience is common. ]

Sometimes I wonder if I'm not standing out more by pretending I can't relate.

[signifies]

I'd say we both are.

[ He's been able to talk about the Kryptonian invasion without involving himself personally, but that's a lie of its own. They're his people. He has to live with the aftermath of the destruction. ]

What I'm hearing is we shouldn't be hiding.

[fingerstripes]

Maybe not across the board. [ He admits it and then stares down at the table, feeling as if he'd betrayed some ideal by saying it at all.

But it's not as if he hadn't chosen a few times, even at home. Friends. Allies. He'd told when it would hurt teamwork for a teammate not to know. Don't the rules have to be different here, when their goals have changed? ]

What does it take for you to decide a friend's better off knowing the truth?

Like Lois?

[signifies]

[ He feels the same.

They've worked so hard to keep this a secret.

Clark rubs at his neck self-consciously. ]

She found out. [ Apologetic. ] It's been happening a lot.

[fingerstripes]

I've been there, believe me. [ Lest Clark think he's the only one who can't bat a thousand in this game. ]

Between me and Bruce it's a miracle we haven't hit the front page of the Gazette about a dozen times over.

[ But it is worth noting that it would be anything but front page news in this place. No one would bat an eye.

And Bruce would never forgive him if he let that change anything. He sighs. ]

...I don't know that I'm ready to tell the world, Clark.

[ But Batman isn't here. He and Clark are. He can't bring himself to take the possibility off the table. ]

[signifies]

Then we just tell the people we trust.

[ Which doesn't bring them anywhere, but Clark knows he trusts more people here than he's ever trusted in his life.

Telling them would be easy. ]